Second Chances (Come with a Price)
by TheWyldeWynd
Summary: Sometimes, the littlest things can have the most dramatic effects. No one could've guessed how much a crystal phial, a loose floorboard, and a bit of bad luck could change. Nor could anyone guess how complicated getting a second chance could be. In the end they may not even want what has happened, but do they even have a choice? (AU from the end of The Miller's Daughter)
1. Prologue

She would always claim that the cause of all the insanity had been a simple little crystal phial, sitting next to the bed they put Gold on, and looking altogether too innocent to belong in that man's possession. Later, Emma would kick herself black-and-blue for ignoring her instincts and _not _tossing the damned thing out the nearest window the moment she saw it.

Admittedly she had been a bit distracted by the imminent death of her son's grandfather (aka Gold, aka Rumpelstiltskin, aka The Dark One, aka The Man that _Everyone _Apparently had Perfect Justification to Want Dead), as well as the imminent arrival of her son's murderous adoptive-grandmother (aka Cora, aka The Original Evil Queen, aka The Main Reason My Son's Adopted Mother is Evil, aka When the Hell Did This Become My Life?). And, of course, there was the whole matter of her son's biological father (aka Neil, aka The Man Who Abandoned Me to Give Birth in Prison Because _Pinocchio _Told Him to, aka No Seriously Who Did I Kill in a Past Life to Deserve This?) suddenly reappearing.

At least, that was what she told herself to make all the stress and headaches a little more manageable, if only for a moment.

To be utterly honest, however, it was really a combination of the crystal phial, a loose floorboard, and a bit of incredibly bad luck.

Things had been painfully tense in the backroom of Gold's shop. Neil – torn between a dying father he once adored and the monster who had betrayed and abandoned him – was perched on the edge of his seat, griping a sword in one hand while the other occasionally darted out to grasp Gold's hand before retreating again. Emma – admittedly still learning to cope with the whole "Fairy Tales are real" thing, as well as dealing with Neil's reappearance and her newfound relation to Gold – stood a few feet away, shifting constantly and fighting the urge to pace. And then there was Gold – and frankly, trying to decipher his emotional state at any given moment was enough to make Archie shudder and reach for the nearest container of alcohol – who was, of course, dying. Painfully.

In the end, it had almost been a relief when Cora and Regina entered the shop in their swirl of dark clothing and unresolved issues. ('Honestly,' Emma couldn't help but wonder, 'were there just no therapists in Fairy Tale Land?')

She and Neil placed themselves between Gold and the intruders, ready for if (_when_) the barrier fell. For a moment, Emma allowed herself to feel a twinge of pain at the sight of Regina. True, the other woman had been The Evil Queen who made everyone life miserable and literally cursed, but… Ever since Emma and Mary Margaret (she still couldn't bring herself to think of the former schoolteacher as anything else) had returned from Fairy Tale Land, she couldn't deny that Regina _had _changed. She had seemed fragile and confused, but had appeared to be making a genuine attempt to reform, to be the sort of mother Henry deserved. Even if she hadn't liked her, Emma had at least felt a little bad for her, especially after learning a little about her past. That sympathy, combined with Regina's attempt to change, had led Emma to extend an olive-branch.

Of course, all of that had gone down in screaming flames when Cora framed her daughter for Archie's murder, and they played right into the witch's hands. The eventual reveal had made Emma feel even worse (in no small part because, _damn_, what kind of mother actually frames her daughter for murder?!) and not a little guilty. Even now, standing in Gold's shop, staring down Cora and Regina, Emma couldn't escape the simple truth that they had all shared in the former queen's descent back into darkness.

And now? Who could say what the fallout would be.

She shoved those thoughts to the back of her mind, though. Because right here, right now, they had to deal with Cora looking all smug and giving a speech that hit nearly every villain cliché in the book. Insulting descriptions of their strength and ability? Check. Overblown descriptions of personal strength and ability? Check. Promise to show leniency in the face of surrender? Check. Oy, all that was missing was for her to say-

"You must know that we will get what we want. Your silly little attempts to resist us are futile."

No. No she did not. Emma's jaw actually dropped a little at that, an action mirrored by Neil's sudden stiffening and a startled expression on Regina's face.

Emma knew she should resist, this was certainly not the time or place, and Cora probably wouldn't even understand it. But… when a door like that opened…

"So what? You want us to just drop our shields so you can assimilate Gold into the Collective?"

Neil made a strangled noise that meant he was desperately trying not to burst out laughing, while Regina was clearly fighting the urge to bury her face in her hand. Cora, understandably, just looked confused for a moment, before her features hardened again.

"Whether you lower the barrier or not, we will enter that room. I am simply offering you a chance to survive that moment."

"Yeah, you keep saying that, but I notice that the barrier is still here, and you're still out in the cold. So," Emma put on her best infuriating smirk, "how about I 'simply offer' you a chance to avoid any more embarrassment by hauling your ass out of here now." She raised an eyebrow at Cora's shocked expression, "Warp Factor Nine."

Cora… looked like she was ready to swallow an army of flies. Then, slowly, her entire body started to tremble, her face twisting into an ugly expression of pure hate. Emma felt a full-blown chill down her spine, and across the barrier Regina looked like she wanted to run for the hills. Eyes burning, Cora opened her mouth, stepped forward, and-

_-squeak-_

Everyone froze. Between them, the barrier settled, its surface becoming smooth again. Slowly, Cora looked down at her foot. Or, rather, at the board _under _that foot. She pressed down.

_-squeak-_

The barrier rippled again, as the board under it lifted slightly. Cora looked up with a cruel smile. Emma felt sick.

Suddenly the board was gone and, with its foundation disturbed, the barrier collapsed. The next thing she knew Emma was flying into a very sturdy wall, and something intangible was holding her there by her throat. She struggled, helpless, trying desperately to catch a breath of air. Neil was on the floor, Regina standing over him, her arm outstretched and curled into a claw in Emma's direction.

Within the fog of her slow descent into unconsciousness, Emma had enough presence of mind to think: _'Huh, so this is what it's like to be Force-choked. Ow.' _

Through the growing haze over her eyes, she saw Cora moving slowly towards Gold, pulling a twisted dagger from… somewhere. The dying man was staring up at her, apparently without any sort of strength (or will) to move away. Cora was looming over him and then-

The next events happened in a blur. There was a muffled shout, and suddenly Emma was on the floor gasping for breath. Hazily, she saw that Regina was staggering at Gold's bedside, and Neil was grappling with Cora for the knife. Somehow, Cora shoved him away, and was suddenly holding a ball of fire in one hand. Emma found her feet, and launched herself at Cora just as the older woman threw the flame. The impact interrupted Cora's aim, and the ball flew past Neil, directly into a simply little crystal phial, sitting innocently next to the spot occupied by Gold and Regina.

And then there was fire. Fire, smoke, a remarkably loud noise, and a shockwave that sent Emma, Cora and Neil flying.

Later (she wasn't sure how much later) Emma felt someone shaking her. The world spun and flickered before her eyes, sounds muffled and echoing as though she were under water. She shook her head, nearly threw up, and finally managed to make out that Mary Margaret and David were kneeling over her.

She tried three times before finally managing to sit up, and nearly fell over again before David caught her. Through the (slowly fading) cloud over her eyes she could see Ruby performing a similar task with Neil. Slowly, she looked around Gold's showroom (and how exactly did they get all the way out there), noticing a distinct absence of Cora or Regina.

Her hearing clearing alongside her vision, she managed she wave off Mary Margaret and David's repeated concerns and staggered to her feet. "C-Cora?"

Judging by the winces, her hearing wasn't good enough that she could properly manage her volume. Mary Margaret shook her head and replied, "She was gone when we got here." (Either that or, "She was wrong, do you want beer?" which made a little less sense, but actually sounded really nice right now).

Emma shook her head again, glancing briefly to where Neil had managed to regain his footing, before looking towards the backroom. The sick feeling in her stomach had not gone away. "Regina? Gold?"

Both Mary Margaret and David look anxious, "We… we just checked to see if anyone was in there and then…" David shrugged helplessly, "You were hurt."

There was a gentle flicker of warmness at that, though it quickly died away when she saw the look of utter terror on Neil's face. Luckily, Ruby saw the same look.

"It's ok," she grasped his shoulder firmly, "I can hear two heartbeats in there, and they're both going strong."

Neil sighed, sagged slightly under her touch, before stiffening once more. "Wait… th-that's…" he looked around, bewildered, "Why would they both be strong? Even without the explosion, he was…"

Everyone's gaze darted to the direction of the backroom, and then they were moving as one.

The room was in shambles, furniture splintered and smoldering, scorch marks covering every surface, shards of various kinds strewn about the floor. And there, on the other side of the room, two unmoving figures were sprawled over the bed, all untouched by any sign of the explosion.

Emma stared down at the unconscious pair, mind unable to fully process what she was seeing. On top of the bed was a girl, tall for her apparent age but still swimming in an oversized suit. Beneath her was a boy barely larger than Henry, almost completely obscured by the girl and the bedding. Both children seemed so eerily familiar, and yet Emma couldn't bring herself to connect their faces with two others she knew well.

Slowly, she tore her eyes from the bed and its inhabitance, and looked at the others by her side. Mary Margaret, David, Ruby, and Neil all worn identical expressions of utter shock and disbelief.

The sick feeling in Emma's stomach grew, as her eyes were once again drawn back to the bed.

Oh yeah. A beer sounded _really _nice right now.

* * *

**_AN: _**_Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed this! I've got a pretty firm direction for this whole story, so I'm going to try and update this pretty frequently. That said, I'm currently working on three other fics right now, in addition to all the other lovely things that happen in rl. As such, and because I tend to write as inspiration strikes, I make no "once every week" etc promises. But hey! You know something that really helps the inspiration strike? Reviews! Yes Virginia, that's right. Just shoot me a quick review letting me know what you think, and you will be feeding my plot-bunnies and beloved muses! Isn't that right my darlings?_

_Riku: We are being held against our will. Call the police._

_Hoykar: Please, for the love of all things right and good, she's _**insane**_._

_Loki: Can I go back to the void? Please?_

_Aren't they adorable? Anyhoos, now you know what to do! Remember, R&R feeds my insanity, and gets you more story!_

_-Ja ne! ^-^_


	2. Chapter 1

_**AN:** The following is a quick rundown on some details of this story. Please read!_

_Parings: For the most part, this is _not _going to be a pairing heavy fic. That said, there will be some (peripheral, if nothing else) romance/couples going on. First off, if it was in the show (at least pre-Miller's Daughter) consider it cannon/previously cannon in here. In other words, past!Cora/Rumpelstiltskin, present!Snowing, etc... exist/ed. Aside from that, later chapters may include some RedCricket, and probably a bit of Swanfire vs. CaptainSwan. But, like I said, none of this (probably) will have any dramatic focus or impact on the story, so hopefully it won't be a deal-breaker for anyone._

_Warnings: A lot of this story is going to be fairly drama heavy, and will touch on some rather unpleasant things. Namely, there will be references to and instances of child/teen abuse (emotional, mental, and physical), as well as references (in varying degrees) to sexual abuse against minors. Each chapter will have warnings specific to that chapter's contents, so you have some preparation for what's to come. However, if any of this is a serious issue for you, you probably shouldn't read this fic._

_Should you stick around, I hope you enjoy this fic! I will try to update it fairly regularly (IE: not let it sit around for three months growing cobwebs). And so, without further ado (but one thing), here's chapter 1, enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own it. Keep this in mind for all future chapters._

* * *

It wasn't until she reached the sanctuary of Regina's office that the fog over Cora's senses finally began to lift. She staggered again, bracing herself against the large desk as she took a few deep, shuddering breaths. After a long moment the surge of dizziness passed and she tried once more to clear her thoughts.

Things had been going well – too well, she supposed in hindsight. She really ought to have realized that Rumplelstilkskin would have some sort of trap or defense waiting in his inner sanctum. But the growing urgency had spurred her actions faster than her sense of caution, and the results had been disastrous.

Everything had fallen into place. Fortune had granted her an opportunity to easily destroy the barrier, and the revolting little wench and her peasant companion had quickly fallen before her might. She had approached Rumpelstiltskin – her dear teacher, first lover, and most deadly adversary – and seen The Dark One powerless to stop her ascendency. She had The Dagger in hand, ready to change everything when…

Cora shook her head, trying to remember the following catastrophe. Somehow the peasant – a filthy, scruffy man of no apparent consequence – had recovered sufficiently and managed to throw Regina into The Dagger's path, delaying Cora just long enough for his hands to close around her own, struggling for the artifact. She had knocked the worm away and was prepared to strike him down when… the girl. Cora frowned, her memories clearing somewhat. It must have been the loathsome little bitch, the whelp of Eva's precious little Snow. Once more the slattern had interfered with Cora's plans, causing yet another complication and more frustration. Yes, that had been it. She had leapt at Cora, and somehow triggered a hidden defense of Rumpelstiltskin's, creating the explosion.

Thankfully, her instincts had allowed her to raise a shield just before the explosion reached her (though not quite quickly enough to fully protect herself from the blast). The concussive force had sent her hurtling straight through one of the shop's walls and into the alleyway outside. For some time – not long, she thought – she had swum on the edge of unconsciousness. Then, through the fog clouding her mind, she had become distantly aware of shouts and cries coming ever closer to her location. Before the fog cleared enough to allow any real awareness of her situation she was already making her way towards the safety of her daughter's seat of power. By the point she realized what she was doing it was too late. Clearly the explosion had raised the attention of the local populace, and reinforcements could not be far off. And, though she was loath to admit it, in her muddled state she did not wish to take any chances.

Her head cleared further, and one more disaster occurred to Cora. Her daughter was missing. She thought back, remembering how close Regina had been to the explosion. The girl must have been knocked fully unconscious by the blast, preventing her from escaping as Cora herself had.

A surge of annoyance welled up in her chest; now she would have to waste time and effort trying to free the child from their enemies. Once again, Regina had decided to make her mother's life even more difficult, complicating matters unnecessarily. If only the foolish girl could simply do what Cora wanted, and do it properly for once, neither would currently be in such a state. And of course, Regina's failings were left for Cora to step in and repair.

She sighed deeply, rubbing her brow. It simply wasn't fair. She would likely need to collect Hook once more – though his silly obsession with vengeance could be trying, Cora had to admit he was a capable pawn. Yes, that would do. She would locate Hook, use him to rescue her incompetent daughter, and then Hook would serve as a fitting distraction. Then, while the pathetic little 'heroes' were fixated on the pirate, she could _finally _locate Rumpelstiltskin and use The Dagger to-

She froze, thoughts cutting off immediately as the last wisps of fog left her. A chill clutching her heart, she called upon her magic and summoned The Dagger to her hand.

For an eternity she stared at the artifact, her mind refusing to acknowledge what she saw. Then, a blind rage burned through her, building throughout her being until she thought it might consume her. An uncontrolled scream of pure fury ripped from her throat as she threw The Dagger with all her might. The blade pierced through the window, and fell to the earth amidst a rain of shattering glass. It lay there, unaffected by the storm of rage which ripped the stylish office to tatters, the sun reflecting off of its perfect, unadorned blade.

#######################

Emma still really wanted that beer.

Like… really, _really_ wanted that beer. Or several beers. Or some aspirin. Or a heavy blunt object to pound against her head until she lost all consciousness and didn't have to deal with the insanity that was her life anymore. Or, you know, all of the above.

Things had been… interesting… to say the least, following Cora's assault and the explosion. They had probably spent a good five minutes just standing there, staring at the two unconscious children. Then, suddenly, Neil had decided to have a _complete _breakdown. At that point Emma had been seriously torn between watching his freak-out in cruel amusement, and joining him in his hysterics.

That seemed to be the cue everyone had been waiting for; Mary Margaret had taken the initiative to confirm that the children were still alive and breathing (they were), David had pulled Emma away to start putting out tiny fires (that threatened to get not-so-tiny), and Ruby had supplied the hyperventilating Neil with a paper-bag (there was still no explanation as to _why _she was just carrying a paper-bag around, but Emma eventually decided that there were weirder things to worry about). They all carried out their tasks in as much silence as possible, no one, apparently, willing or wanting to actually acknowledge what had just happened.

They had most of the fires extinguished and Neil breathing normally again when the first wave reached the pawn shop, Leroy and Granny at the front and a wide assortment of farm equipment preparedly in hand. It had taken Mary Margaret and Emma several minutes to convince everyone that, no, Rumpelstiltskin was _not_ trying to conquer or destroy the town with the forces of darkness, and yes, it was perfectly alright for everyone to go about their business as usual. It then to several _more_ minutes to reaffirm this statement when _another _group arrived, also wielding farm equipment, and stirred everything up again. By the time everyone was on the same page (and the various mob members had agreed to spread the word and disband any similar mobs) Emma had a pounding headache the size of Nantucket.

She made her way back inside the shop, leaving Mary Margaret to share a few words with Leroy, and all but fell into the first chair she could find.

A promptly collided with the floor as the chair fell to pieces beneath her.

She let her fall against the floor with a thump, wincing as that action reminded her she had, only recently, been flung through a wall. _'Damn Cora. Damn magic. Damn my whole freakin' life.'_ She pressed her hands against her eyes in a futile attempt to blot out the light and the world alike, sighing in weary frustration as the world around her spun. _'This is not fun on so many levels.'_

After a few moments, she felt someone sit down next to her. The heavier dip of the wood floor implied a man's weight, which meant David or Neil. Reluctant to move her hands, Emma sniffed discretely. Ah, David. David, who smelled like steel, mine-dust, and pancakes. It was a (strangely) comforting smell, unlike Neil, who smelled of Red Spice and lies.

"Unless you have hard liquor or heavy narcotics," Emma grumbled, "I refuse to move. In fact," she stifled a groan as her head throbbed once more, "I may not move ever again. Seriously, I think I'm going to spend the rest of my life right here. I will change my address to this spot on the floor, and it will be my new home."

She heard the gentle sound of David chuckling, followed by a familiar rattling. "Well, it's not _heavy _narcotics, per say. But…"

Eyes still clamped shut, Emma held out an expectant hand. She dry-swallowed the few, tiny pills immediately, and reapplied her hand to her eyes. A large, calloused hand brushed tentatively against her hair, and she instinctively pressed against it. Moments later David was stroking her hair gently, and she found herself relaxing into the comforting touch.

"You ok?"

Emma nodded slowly, "Yeah… yeah I'm… ok's a pretty good word for it." She pressed the palms of her hands more firmly against her eyes, sighing deeply. "How's…" she trailed off.

When David responded, she could hear a hesitance in his voice that matched how she felt, "They're… ok too. We think." Emma noted that he had pointedly avoided any names, and didn't blame him in the least. "Honestly, we're not really sure of anything right now." She felt him shrug, "Mary Margaret asked Leroy to bring the Blue Fairy here, to check things out."

"That's… good."

"Yeah."

"…David?"

"Hmm?"

"… Magic _sucks_."

He gave a startled laugh that dissolved into a steady chuckle, "Yeah. Yeah it really does, doesn't it?"

They sat there for several minutes, Emma letting David stroke her hair as the pills slowly started to kick in. Hazily, she wondered if this was what it was like, having a parent to look after you when you felt awful, when the world was being a bitch. If it was, Emma decided, she could _definitely _get used to it. It was nice.

By the time Leroy returned with the Mother Superior (or Blue Fairy, whatever) the worst of Emma's headache had died away, and she allowed David to pull her up from the floor.

As Mary Margaret led the woman (or fairy, _whatever_) into the backroom, Emma took the opportunity to survey the damage. The blast had done a number on the back wall, leaving a gaping hole where the door had once been and numerous smaller holes everywhere else. The display cases along that wall had been thoroughly shattered, and various objects were scattered across the floor. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't pretty either.

Idly checking the growing lump on the back of her head, Emma let out a low whistle. Really, it was incredible that neither she nor Neil had been hurt too badly. And speaking of…

Emma glanced over to her former lover, currently leaning against a (mostly) untouched sidewall, head cradled in his hands. Neil had, it seemed, calmed down from his earlier mania and settled in a state of numbness. She allowed herself a rush of sympathy for him. She had thought _her _family situation was complicated.

…Of course… Neil was Henry's dad. So, technically, his family situation _was _her family situation…

She bit back a whimper, slamming the door on that line of thought and the utter madness to be found therein. There weren't enough pain pills in the world to deal with such things.

Luckily, the Blue Superior Mother Fairy Whatever Lady chose that moment to return. She looked… probably a bit like they had all looked when they first went into that room and saw its occupants: shocked, dazed, confused, doubting all of reality, and ready to get lost in the nearest bar. It was a look that seemed out of place on somebody in a wimple. It looked more natural on Leroy, who had followed her into the backroom (despite being warned) and summarily followed her back out.

Blue Mama opened her mouth, closed it again, then, with a shake of the head, muttered, "Well, _damn_."

That, Emma decided, nicely summed up the whole ordeal.

#######################

They sent Happy (who was waiting outside, on standby) off to Granny's, and waited in a sort of shell-shocked silence until he returned with a sizeable quantity of tea (Granny's own, In-Case-of-Emergency blend). They shooed him back outside, assuring him that he _really _didn't want to stick around, and managed to locate a table and enough chairs of the non-magical persuasion to sit down at. Something bumped Emma's leg under the table, and she found that Leroy – bless his cantankerous soul – was offering her a well-used flask of something that immediately went into her tea. After one sip she was ready to kiss the man. Dwarf. Whatever and who cares, he was sharing his alcohol and Emma loved him.

"So…" David finally broke the silence, drawing Emma's attention away from her sweet, sweet spiked tea. He fumbled for a bit, then sighed deeply, "I'm sorry. But, this really happened, right? I mean, that's really… they're…" he cast a nervous glance towards the backroom.

Everyone froze awkwardly. There it was, the elephant in the room that they had been tiptoeing around since the explosion. Finally, Fairly Superior nodded, "Yes. It appears that…" she sighed, then appeared to brace herself, and confirmed what no one had wanted to acknowledge, "It's them. Somehow, it appears that Rumpelstiltskin and Regina have been regressed into teenagers."

Silence fell again. Emma took a deep pull from her tea, wincing. The whole thing seemed so much worse when spoken aloud. It was just… just flat out _wrong_. _**Especially **_when the people in question were Gold and Regina.

"But how…" Ruby looked as bewildered and unsettled as Emma felt. "How does that even work? Is there some kind of spell that…"

Mother Fairy nodded slowly, still looking confused, "There are a few spells that can de-age individuals. But," she frowned, confusion deepening, "what I don't understand is _why _Rumpelstiltskin would have one on hand. What could he have intended to use it for?"

"For me."

Everyone started, all eyes turning to Neil. The young man was turned slightly, but definitively, away from everyone else, staring intensely at his cup with an unreadable expression. Emma swallowed, "Nei-"

"He was going to use it on me." He cut her off sharply, as though he hadn't heard her, "He told me. In New York." The cup started to buckle under his grip, "A spell to make me fourteen again, to start over, like the portal never happened." His entire body was coiled, trembling with barely restrained emotion. "A second chance." Suddenly, he was on his feet, chair thrown to the ground with a sharp bang, "_Son of a __**bitch!**_" The cup struck one wall viciously, tea splattering against wall, floor, and ceiling. Neil growled in helpless frustration, fisting his hands into his hair, "He just doesn't _change!" _He was passing now, almost franticly, "All these years, across entire worlds, and he's still using _magic _to try and solve his problems! Just wave a hand and make everything perfect and wonderful, all so you don't have to take accountability for your actions, right?!" He stopped abruptly, glaring in the direction of the backroom, "Well how's that working for you now, huh?! Is this what you wanted you-"

Emma's hand was on his shoulder before she realized she was standing, "Neil!" She grabbed his arm when he tried to pull away, holding tight, "Neil. Calm down, this isn't helping. Hey," she rested a hand on his other shoulder, feeling the uncontrolled tremors that shook his body, "come sit back down, ok?" She pulled him back towards the table, where David had already set the fallen chair back up. The older man clasped Neil's shoulder in sympathy as he half sat, half fell into it.

"Well," David settled back into his own chair, rubbing one temple wearily, "at least now we know _how _this happened. Any ideas as to what exactly we're supposed to do now?"

There was another wave of silence at that. Emma, at least, felt her brain start to cry every time she tried to think about it. Eventually, Mary Margaret broke it, "First things first. Are they… alright? I mean…" she waved a hand vaguely, a worried expression on her face, "aside from the obvious… changes… well, shouldn't they have woken up or something by now? It hasn't exactly been peaceful around here. Should we be worried?"

Super Fairy shook her head, "Any transformations of this degree are extremely taxing. It is likely that they will sleep for at least several hours more, but there shouldn't be any problems once they wake."

"We sure that's a good thing?" Leroy shifted awkwardly under their sudden attention. "Seriously, think about it. We're talking about the Dark One and the Evil Queen here," he raised an eyebrow, "you guys really think they're going to be that happy when they wake up a couple decades younger? 'Cause it seems to me that we're going to be up against some serious magical rage once they're up and at it."

That shut everyone up _again_. Emma felt a shiver down her spine and, from the looks of things, so did everyone else. She took another gulp of tea, mulling the new problem over. Slowly, an idea began to form, "Are… we _sure_ they'll remember?" She shrugged at the questioning glances that got, "I mean, ugh… Neil, I'm sorry to bring this up but… if Gold really was angling for a complete do over between the two of you, would he make the spell so you remembered everything or…"

"Make it so my mind reset too." Neil looked like he wanted to punch something. Or someone. Someone very specific. "Yeah. Yeah that sounds about right."

The others around the table shared a wince, shuffling uncomfortably. "Well," Ruby tried to smile, "At least that probably won't be a problem."

"Nor, I believe, will the magic. At least," Fairy Mother hesitated briefly, "not in regards to Rumpelstiltskin."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because," the magical nun wore an odd expression, "the powers of the Dark One no longer exist."

That actually didn't get a reaction. At least, not at first. At first everyone – sans Emma – was so completely shocked that they simply lost the ability to blink, much less react in any way. Emma simply didn't have the same understanding of the whole 'ways of Fairy Tale World' that everyone else did, so her response boiled down to thinking, 'that's good, right?'

After a moment, however, the shock wore off. Then the shouting started again.

Emma was actually starting to get used to being the one person sitting in calm(ish) confusion while everyone else freaked out. It was kind of annoying that it typically happened because she really didn't know what was going on – at least, not as well as everyone else – but she was becoming ok with that. If nothing else, it was pretty interesting to see everyone's reaction. David and Mary Margaret were trying to figure out _where _the Dark One's powers had gone, Neil was going into hysterics again and asking _why exactly _the Blue Fairy never mentioned there being a possibility of de-Dark-One-ing his father, Ruby had _another _paper bag in hand (seriously, where was she keeping those?) and was trying to calm Neil down again, Super Mom was trying to answer everyone at once, and Leroy was cackling madly that they were finally 'one down!'

All in all, it was a pretty fascinating sight. Though, honestly, Emma found happy-Leroy to be _extremely _disturbing. She was pretty sure it violated quite a few laws of nature.

The confusion went on for several minutes more, Emma taking the opportunity to lift Leroy's flask and add another few shots to few (now mostly consumed) tea. Eventually, however, the chaos did fade somewhat. Mostly because Leroy was out of breath from laughing so hard, and Neil was doubled over in his chair breathing into the paper bag.

Blue Lady, looking slightly annoyed at the pandemonium, waited until everyone had returned to their seats before continuing. "As I was going to say," her tone was reproving, "I felt the power of the Dark One vanish a short while ago; coinciding, I now suspect, with the triggering of the spell. At the time I assumed that, somehow, Rumpelstiltskin had perished as, so far as I knew," she looked pointedly at Neil, "that was one of the only two ways to permanently destroy that power. And as to where the power went," here she looked at David and Mary Margaret, "so far as I can tell, it simply does not exist any longer."

"But," Mary Margaret frowned, "how does that happen? How can magic, especially magic that powerful, just disappear?"

"I suspect it has to do with the nature of the spell." Mother Magic looked thoughtful, as though she were putting together clues as she spoke, "Clearly, it was intended to regress one's body to a specific age – fourteen, if I recall?" Neil nodded sharply, and she continued, "Furthermore, as you consider it likely that the spell would also regress one's mind to the same age, that leaves one solution as the most likely." Suddenly, she looked very tired, reaching to rub at her temples.

"Mother Superior?"

Shaking her head, the fairy-woman gave them a weary smile, "It's alright. It's just…" she sighed, "If I am correct about this, Rumpelstiltskin used a very old, very powerful sort of magic." She frowned somewhat, looking pensive, "One that would have to come from a source that _should _no longer exist." She sighed again, waving a gentle hand at their growing concern. "Something for another time. As I said, this magic is very old and I doubt even Rumpelstiltskin could have gotten a hold of anything else of the same sort." She nodded once, definitively, and moved on, "As I was saying, I believe the spell employed was… well the best term for it would be a complete reset. Once cast, it would completely return any person to their _exact _state at a certain age." She glanced at Neil again, "Effectively, it would give someone a perfect 'second chance.'"

Emma frowned, "That sounds… big."

"Indeed." Madame Blue-Fairy looked off into the distance, "Costly as well. Such a spell would have required a great deal of power, and a number of extremely rare regents. He must have put a great deal into crafting that spell."

Neil scoffed abruptly, his earlier rage having finally given way to a sort of dull tiredness, "Yeah. And look what it got him." Emma, feeling another pang of sympathy, leaned over to him, offering Leroy's confiscated flask. Blinking at it for a moment, Neil accepted the container and took a long hit from it. "Some second chance."

#######################

They didn't remain around the table for long after that. Fairy Lady had left rather quickly, giving some vague answer about needing to look something up. Leroy had left soon after, citing a need to refill his flash a couple dozen times. That had, once more, left Emma, David and Mary Margaret, Ruby, and Neil alone with the still slumbering teenagers.

Mary Margaret had, as per usual, been the first to do something productive, giving Neil directions to the nearest clothing store, and size specifications.

"Look, whether or not they remember what's going on when they wake up, if that happens and they're falling out of their clothes things are going to get awkward. Well," she shrugged helplessly at their raised eyebrows, "more awkward then things will be already."

"Right. And Neil is the one going because…?"

Mary Margaret's expression was a masterpiece of incredulity, "Because can you imagine the reaction if one of us," she waved to indicate the four residents of the town, "who people in this town know on sight, suddenly started buying clothes for teenagers, when everyone knows we do not have any connection to any teenagers?" she paused for a pointed moment, "You don't think that might provoke a _slight_ reaction?"

"… Right, have fun Neil. Be back soon, and give me a call if you get lost."

He had left, directions in hand and pained expression on face, and the rest of them went back to righting the shop.

Several minutes into the cleanup, Emma found herself in the backroom once more. For a bit she remained pointedly fixated on her task, sweeping up fragments of broken glass. However, it wasn't long before her eyes were pulled towards the bed.

The first thing she noticed was that the girl… that Regina, had been shifted somewhat. Someone – presumably Mary Margaret – had moved her from her earlier sprawl, probably in an attempt to prevent the bo- … to prevent Rumpelstiltskin from being suffocated. As such, the two were currently laying side-by-side, oblivious to all around them.

Moving closer, Emma examined the newly-made teens.

Regina didn't really look that different from the woman Emma knew. She was a bit shorter, though tall for a fourteen year old girl. She was much less curvy, to the point that the, normally, well tailored suit hung on her body like a tent. She obviously looked younger than the mayor, features softer and less tense. Also, her hair was a good deal longer, falling well past her shoulders. However, the resemblance was definitely there. Had Emma not know who the girl was, she probably would've guessed she had _some_ connection to Regina Mills, a younger sister or cousin maybe.

Rumpelstiltskin, on the other hand, didn't have that great a resemblance to his adult self. Though Gold was not a man Emma would ever describe as large or physically imposing, he _certainly_ was not someone she would ever call tiny. And yet, that seemed to be the best word to describe the boy in front of her. Not only was he just a few inches taller than Henry, he probably weighed about twenty pounds less. Clothes included. If Regina was swimming in her adult self's clothes, Rumpelstiltskin was _drowning _in his. Just looking at him made Emma want to rush out and buy a couple dozen hamburgers. His hair was about the same length as usual, but was much shaggier, and seemed naturally inclined to hang into his eyes. Strangely, her fingers itched to brush it out of his face.

"Emma?"

She drew her hand back quickly, "Yeah?"

Mary Margaret's hand rested gently on her shoulder, "You know," her gaze was on the sleeping girl, "Regina wasn't much older than this the first time I met her."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm." There was a quiet sadness in the other woman's face, Emma thought. Sadness and regret. "After everything that I happened between us… I suppose I forgot what she looked like then." She smiled gently, "So beautiful, and…"

"Innocent." The word felt strange in Emma's mouth, especially when describing Regina. And yet… it just seemed to fit. Mary Margaret nodded, squeezing her shoulder gently. Emma leaned into the touch, eyes traveling to the boy again, "He looks…"

Mary Margaret squeezed her shoulder again, finishing her thought, "Like Henry."

"…Yeah. Like Henry." She sighed, "You know, if Henry went a month or four without _eating _anything."

Mary Margaret nodded in agreement, a sort of calm determination filling her eyes. Emma bit back a smile at the sight; something told her that, no matter what else happened, there would be a lot of hamburgers in the former (future?) Dark One's future.

Suddenly, however, all thoughts of fattening foods were forgotten as Regina gave a sharp cry – which quickly trailed into a steady, fearful whimpering – in her sleep. Within seconds Mary Margaret was perched on the side of the bed, running a gentle hand through the girl's dark hair and murmuring soothingly. At the touch Regina stiffened, then, with almost painful slowness, relaxed into the touch.

Emma stood, transfixed, for a moment, watching Mary Margaret stroke the young girl's hair, humming a quiet lullaby. Then, slowly, she smiled and slipped out of the room, leaving her mother to sing to the sleeping teenagers.

By the time Neil returned, a shopping bag in each hand, Emma, David, and Ruby had fixed the worst of the damage in the storefront. He hefted the bags at their questioning looks, "Got everything she told me. They still asleep?"

"Yeah," Emma nodded at the backroom, "Mary Margaret's keeping an eye on them."

"Right." Neil shuffled a little, frowning, "Just… one question."

"Shoot."

He raised a questioning eyebrow at those assembled, "Who exactly is going to be the one dressing and, more importantly, _undressing _those two?"

…

'_Damn.' _ Emma thought, feeling her earlier headache return as an awkward silence filled the room once more, _'I __**really**__ should've kept that flask.'_

* * *

_**AN: **This chapter, did __not want to be written. _At all. _Hopefully future chapters will be more accommodating._

_Reviews:_

**_Guest: _**_Glad to supply you with one, hope the wait wasn't too terrible! Like I said, this chapter gave me some difficulty, and hopefully things will be smoother from here on out._

**_MusicalGirl97:_**_ Hope it lives up to your expectation! And yes, I am a total Trekkie. No such references in this chapter, but I hope to include many more (and many from other things as well) in future ones!_

**_nahbois68: _**_Yep, it is indeed teen!Regina and teen!Gold. Hope things were a little clearer in this chapter!_

_Welp, hope you all enjoyed it! Will (hopefully) have the next part up soon. Remember lads and lasses, Reviews = Love, so let me know what you think!_

_Huítóu jiàn! ^-^_


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